This invention relates generally to a form for receiving printed information thereon and subsequent attachment to an object, and more particularly to a combination shipping label and packing list form for use in commercial package shipping where the shipping label and packing list information can be printed to a single side of the form in a simplex printing operation prior to placement of the form onto a package or related shipping container.
The use of adhesive forms in the transport of commercial goods is well known in the art. Typical among these are shipping labels and packing lists, the first to identify the addressee of goods contained within a package to which the shipping label is affixed, and the second to identify the contents within the package being shipped. The forms can be of single or multiple layer configurations, and often include a pressure-sensitive adhesive coating. Such forms can be removably affixed to a backing sheet. Upon removal of a form from its associated backing sheet, which is typically a paper liner with a silicone (or similar release material) coating, the exposed adhesive allows the form to be fastened securely to a package for shipment. Traditionally, packing lists have been prepared separately from their corresponding shipping labels. This process has numerous shortcomings. In addition to requiring that additional sheets of paper or film be affixed to the package in separate steps, there is the added disadvantage that the addressee of a shipping label might not correspond to the list of contents inside the package. Additional steps (with concomitant cost) are required where the shipping label, packing list or both are placed inside a transparent pouch that is then affixed to the package. In addition, by exposing the packing list to inspection, the likelihood of theft may increase, especially if these contents are very valuable. Similarly, combinations of shipping labels and packing lists that necessitate one or more folding steps to affix the final form to a package involve hand labor which results in an increasingly expensive system.
What is needed is a combination form that improves the security and efficiency in the shipping of a package such that the number and size of the sheets in the form are minimized while providing for ease of printing and subsequent application.